Samsung CU8500: 43 Inch Samsung - Review 🏆

The Samsung 43 Inch CU8500 4K UHD Smart TV is one of the latest additions to Samsung’s 2023 lineup of premium 4K TVs. This 43-inch TV combines sleek, modern design with powerful performance features to deliver an immersive viewing experience.

Some of the key highlights of the CU8500 include its 4K UHD resolution with support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) content, the Quantum Processor 4K for intelligent upscaling, and Object Tracking Sound which produces dynamic audio that corresponds to on-screen movement. The TV also has a robust smart platform powered by Tizen OS and comes with voice assistants like Alexa built-in.

With its slim profile and center stand design, the CU8500 is aimed at customers looking for a compact yet high-end 4K TV solution for smaller spaces. It packs in premium features found on Samsung’s larger flagship TVs like the anti-reflection screen and solar-powered remote control. Overall, the 43 Inch CU8500 brings top-notch 4K picture quality, smart connectivity and a stylish design in a more accessible 43-inch size.

Design

The Samsung CU8500 43-inch 4K TV sports an elegant slim design with a center stand that gives it a light and airy look. The bezels around the display are ultra-thin, maximizing the screen area while minimizing distractions.

Samsung uses high-quality materials for a premium feel. The TV has a metal frame with sturdy yet slim legs in the middle to hold it upright on a surface. The back of the TV is made of textured plastic that resists fingerprints.

Overall, the CU8500 looks fantastic in any living room or home theater setup. The slim and symmetrical design allows it to blend into the decor seamlessly. It's an impressive fusion of form and function.

Display & Resolution

The Samsung CU8500 43 inch TV comes with an impressive 4K UHD display resolution. The 4K resolution provides 8 million pixels for stunning clarity and detail in every image.

The TV utilizes Samsung's Dynamic Crystal Color technology. This produces a wider range of colors with fine-tuned shades and gradations. Scenes look more vibrant and realistic.

For high dynamic range content, the TV supports HDR10+. This dynamic HDR format optimizes brightness, color, and contrast scene-by-scene. You'll experience enhanced depth and detail.

Quantum dot technology in the display produces over a billion color shades. This technology precisely controls light and color to generate accurate color volume. You'll enjoy vivid, lifelike hues in your entertainment.

With 4K resolution, advanced color technologies, and HDR support, the CU8500's display delivers an immersive viewing experience.

Smart Features

The CU8500 comes loaded with smart features powered by Samsung's intuitive Tizen operating system. One of the highlights is built-in Alexa, allowing you to control your TV and smart home devices completely hands-free. Simply speak into the remote to launch apps, search for content, control playback, change settings, and more.

For seamless access to popular streaming apps, Samsung's Smart Hub has you covered. Find all your favorites like Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, and many more. The Smart Hub makes it easy to discover new content and manage your subscriptions in one place. Gamers will appreciate the dedicated Gaming Hub, providing the ability to browse and instantly play hit titles without the need for a console.

With Multi View, you can watch two sources simultaneously side-by-side. This comes in handy if you want to keep an eye on a big game while watching a TV show, for example. OneConnect Box ports provide ample connectivity for peripherals and external devices like gaming systems and Blu-ray players. The CU8500 brings smart features into the modern era for an unrivaled entertainment experience.

Audio Quality

The Samsung CU8500 43-inch TV delivers an immersive audio experience thanks to its Object Tracking Sound and Dolby Atmos technologies. This TV has powerful 60W speakers built-in that track the action on screen and move the sound to match it.

Object Tracking Sound uses multiple speakers to make sounds come from exactly where the action is happening. For example, when watching a movie, dialogue will appear to come directly from the characters' mouths on screen rather than just from the TV speakers. This creates a surround sound effect without the need for external speakers.

Dolby Atmos takes the audio even further by adding height and dimensionality. Sounds will feel like they are coming at you from all directions, even overhead, fully enveloping you in the experience. It delivers a cinema-quality audio performance from the TV's own speakers.

With 60W of total power, the speakers can get very loud without distortion. Explosions and action scenes will really come to life. The speakers also handle subtle, quiet sounds very well, so you won't miss any dialogue.

Overall, the combination of Object Tracking Sound, Dolby Atmos support, and powerful 60W speakers gives the Samsung CU8500 extremely impressive audio capabilities for a built-in TV speaker system. It's great for movies, sports, and gaming without any need for a sound bar.

Ports & Connectivity

The Samsung 43 Inch CU8500 4K UHD Smart TV is equipped with a variety of ports and connectivity options. For video and audio input, it has 3 HDMI ports, with HDMI 2.1 support on one port. This allows you to connect devices like Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, streaming sticks, and more in up to 4K 120Hz.

For USB connectivity, there are 2 USB ports, with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 support. This allows you to connect hard drives, flash drives, keyboards, and other USB devices. Media playback and recording is supported through the USB ports.

For wireless connectivity, the TV has built-in WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2 support. The WiFi allows you to connect to your home network and access smart apps and features. Bluetooth allows you to pair wireless headphones, speakers, game controllers, and more.

Finally, the TV has an Ethernet port for wired network connectivity. This provides higher bandwidth and more stable internet access compared to WiFi if needed. Overall, the ports and connectivity options on this Samsung TV are very good, with HDMI 2.1 and the latest wireless standards supported.

Picture Quality

The Samsung 43-inch QN43Q60AAFXZA 2022 smart TV delivers excellent overall picture quality, making it a great option for enjoying movies, TV shows, games, and more. The 4K quantum dot display provides vibrant and accurate colors, with 100% color volume allowing for rich hues even in bright scenes. The TV utilizes 4K upscaling powered by Samsung's Quantum Processor Lite to upscale lower resolution content to near 4K quality. This helps HD and even SD content look sharper and more detailed on the 4K screen.

Contrast is also very good thanks to the VA panel and full array backlighting, providing deep blacks and bright highlights. This helps HDR content really pop with highlights like explosions and sunlight appearing intense and dynamic. The set supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG high dynamic range formats. It delivers a peak brightness over 500 nits, providing a solid HDR experience. While not as bright as higher-end QLEDs, it still makes HDR content come alive with expanded contrast and color. Overall the picture quality punches above its weight class, with crisp 4K resolution, vibrant colors, deep contrast, and excellent HDR.

Gaming Performance

The Samsung CU8500 has excellent gaming performance thanks to its low input lag and great gaming features.

Input lag measures how long it takes for a TV to respond to controller input. Lower input lag results in a more responsive gaming experience. The CU8500 has an extremely low input lag of just 5ms in Game Mode, making gameplay feel snappy and responsive.

In terms of gaming features, the CU8500 comes equipped with Samsung's Gaming TV Hub. This hub provides quick access to cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Utomik. With the hub, gamers can easily jump into cloud gaming without needing extra devices or controllers.

The CU8500 also supports key gaming technologies like Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. ALLM automatically switches the TV into low latency Game Mode when a game is launched. VRR and FreeSync sync the TV's refresh rate with the game's frame rate for smooth, tear-free visuals. These technologies combine to deliver an excellent overall gaming experience on the CU8500.

With its incredibly low input lag and robust gaming features, the Samsung CU8500 is a great 4K gaming TV suitable for all types of gamers. Its performance rivals that of high-end gaming monitors, providing a responsive and immersive big screen gaming experience in the living room.

Remote Control

The Samsung CU8500 comes with Samsung's slim and minimalist One Remote Control. The remote has a very sleek and elegant design, with a rounded rectangular shape and metallic finish.

Despite the minimalist design, the One Remote still includes all the necessary buttons for controlling the TV's functions. You have the standard directional pad, menu buttons, volume and channel rockers, playback controls, and dedicated buttons for popular streaming apps like Netflix and Prime Video. The buttons have a nice tactile feedback and are laid out intuitively.

One unique aspect of the One Remote is that it contains solar cell batteries that can be recharged via indoor light. This means you don't have to worry about replacing batteries constantly. The remote can also be charged manually via USB-C if needed.

Overall, the One Remote has an excellent premium design and thoughtful features like the solar cell battery. The button layout makes it easy to control all your content.

Pros & Cons

The Samsung CU8500 43 Inch 4K UHD Smart TV offers a number of benefits as well as some potential downsides that are worth considering.

Pros:

• Slim and stylish design that looks great in any room
• Vibrant 4K UHD picture quality with support for HDR content
• Intuitive smart TV platform powered by Tizen OS
• Built-in Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free voice control
• Object Tracking Sound provides immersive audio experience
• Low input lag and Auto Game Mode for gaming
• Plenty of HDMI ports and connectivity options

Cons:

• Contrast could be better, especially in dark scenes
• Sound quality lacks bass and depth from built-in speakers
• Some smart TV apps could use interface improvements
• No support for Dolby Vision HDR format
• Stand only supports TV being placed on a table, no wall mount

Overall, the Samsung CU8500 presents a compelling package for those looking for a future-proof 4K TV with smart capabilities and gaming features. While it's not perfect, the pros generally seem to outweigh the cons for most users. It provides great performance and features for the price.